


Just Five Minutes

by orphan_account



Category: JackSepticEye (YouTube RPF), Markiplier (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, In which Jack and Mark met very differently, Near Death Experiences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-19 10:17:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4742615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack spoke, “So, why don’t we get off this bridge and go get a cup of coffee or something? You look like you’re ready to get frost bite.” Mark’s smile wavered a bit as he mulled over the situation, but eventually he nodded his head. “Good. You go first, and I’ll come after you.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Five Minutes

**Author's Note:**

> It's my first fic and I'm so nervous. 
> 
> I don't know why this idea kept me awake at midnight, but I had to sit down and write it. Please know there are hints of suicide and depression, so if that's an uncomfortable subject for you, please read with caution. There is also a brief near death experience, but this has a happy ending I swear.

Of all days Jack’s car could have broken down, it had to be today.  While Ireland wasn’t the warmest place, five inches of fresh snow didn’t tickle his fancy.  He pulled his jacket corner over his face and huddled closer to his chest. If he had saved that last dollar, perhaps he could’ve taken the bus instead. Besides, his home rested over the bridge and a few blocks away, and he could use the exercise.

Jack expected the wind to pick up a bit.  He expected the snow plow to drive by and shower him with cold snow.  He expected to get snow in his shoes at some point. His luck didn’t allow much else.  But he didn’t expect was a shadow looking over the side of the bridge.  Who else besides him would be out in this kind of weather? Jack pulled his jacket a little closer to his face to shield his eyes from the snow blowing into his vision.  His mind urged him to turn around, that the person standing there in the middle of the night would give him trouble. The other half of his mind wondered if this person needed help, and if Jack hated being in the snow, he despised leaving someone who needed help.

The shadow shifted, and Jack stopped in his tracks.  It hoisted one leg up onto the bridge’s rail and swung it over.  Jack’s heart pounded in his chest as he inched his way forward.  The shadow sat on the side of the rail and leaned over the edge.  Jack’s heart leapt into his throat, and he picked up his pace.

“Hey,” he called out.  The shadow’s head snapped up to him, and Jack’s heart pounded to a halt. As he got closer, the dim street lamp illuminated dark hair and eyes.  The man wore nothing but a lose flannel and jeans, and his body shivered from the cold.

“Go away,” a deep voice spoke.  Jack heard the crack in his words and chewed on his lip.

“Didn’t your mom tell you to wear a jacket outside,” Jack said and followed it up with a nervous laugh. Only his echo humored him. “Uh, do you need help?”

“I’m fine.”

Jack swallowed and tried to warm up his throat. “You don’t look fine.”

“Just leave me alone.”

Jack stared as the man looked back over the bridge.  He rubbed his gloved hands together and looked over the side.  The water rushed below them, and Jack’s vision spun.  He looked up at the sky and took in a deep breath. Jack’s skin the man’s icy stare, but he dare not look at his face. Jack’s mind made a split decision, and he pushed his palms onto the ledge of the bridge.

Jack heard the man’s panicked voice over the rush of blood in his ears. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Jack sat on the edge of the bridge and tried not to look at his feet dangling over the river below them. “I’m sitting.”

“Don’t.  You’ll fall in.”

“Says the man who sat here first.” Jack heard a car creeping past them as fresh snow covered the plow’s tracks.  “I’m Jack by the way.”  He waited a moment to see if the man would answer him. Jack inhaled and watched his breath swirl around their heads. “If I did fall in, I’m pretty sure I’d pass out before I hit the water, which is a good thing, because that water is probably freezing.  I heard it hits you like a ton of knives piercing your skin.  You can’t move because your muscles freeze up, so you slowly sink to the bottom as your lungs scream for air.  It sounds terrifying.”

Jack’s eyes glanced over at the man beside him, and he noted how wide his eyes were.  He continued, “Are you listening or am I just shouting out into the void?”

“I’m listening.”

“Okay, good.  I’m not even going to ask why you’d be sitting at the edge of a bridge, but there has to be better places to be alone.”

“I’d rather be alone on this bridge than anywhere else.”

“Oh come on. You can’t mean that.”

“I mean every word. I’m tired of not feeling…” His words trailed off, and Jack pursed his lips.  He didn’t want to pry, so he nodded his head.

“I understand. I mean, I came from a family with five siblings. It’s easy to feel pushed aside.  I mean, I’m the wee baby of the family, so I was fussed over more than my siblings, but-“

“What are you talking about?”

Jack stopped and laughed. “I don’t know. Sometimes I can’t shut up.  It’s a bad habit I guess.” He shook his head. “You probably think I’m silly, sitting here talking about nothing…”

“Mark.”  Jack looked up and met Mark’s eyes and strained smile.

“Well then, you probably think I’m silly talking about nothing, Mark.”  A brief pause between thoughts and Mark’s shoulders began to shake.  Jack’s eyebrows furrowed. “What’s so funny?”

“The way you say my name.”

“Well I am Irish so-“

“It sounds like a weird bird scream.”

Mark began to laugh harder, and Jack couldn’t help but smile.  He drew in a deep breath and yelled, “MAAAARK.” Mark’s laugh echoed over Jack’s voice, and Jack couldn’t help but laugh too.  Jack could feel the tears in the corner of his eyes freezing up from laughing so hard.  After a few minutes, the quiet returned, but their smiles never disappeared.

Jack spoke, “So, why don’t we get off this bridge and go get a cup of coffee or something? You look like you’re ready to get frost bite.” Mark’s smile wavered a bit as he mulled over the situation, but eventually he nodded his head. “Good. You go first, and I’ll come after you.”

Mark hesitated before swinging one of his legs over the side of the bridge.  Jack watched Mark spin around and place two feet back on solid ground, and he sighed in relief.  Jack twisted his body, wanting to get off the bridge as soon as possible. His foot caught the bottom ledge of the bridge, and his leg slipped over the edge. Jack’s heart stopped.  His gloved fingers scraped at the rail but gripped nothing. He couldn’t even scream as he began to fall and squeezed his eyes tight. 

Two icy hands grabbed his wrists.  Jack forced his eyes up as Mark stared down at him, shocked expression equal.

“Hang on, Jack.” Mark began to pull backwards.  Jack lifted his feet to try and get a grip on the bridge, but they trembled and slipped.  He heard a car door slam as someone came over and asked if Mark was alright.  A brief explanation and another set of hands reached out for Jack and grabbed onto his jacket.  Mark and another man pulled Jack up enough that he could get a knee on the bridge’s rail. Mark’s hands went from Jack’s wrists to his shoulders.

“You okay?”

“Shaken but alive.” Jack held onto Mark for support as he put his feet back on solid land.

“You need me to call an ambulance?” the man asked.

“No, no, I should be okay,” Jack said. He thanked the man for his help and tried to forget how close he came to dying.

“You sure you’re okay?” Mark asked.

“I’ll live.  I could really use that coffee right about now though.”

Mark smiled. “Coffee it is.” 

They walked side by side with only the crunch of their shoes beneath them for a conversation. 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to also check out my tumblr [of-nerds-n-cookies](http://of-nerds-n-cookies.tumblr.com/) for more fic reccomendations.


End file.
